Can't Beat the Devil
by stormbringer94
Summary: Remember Martin, the sociopathic college student, who had a thing about water? Things don't go as Lightmann planned this time. This is a "what if?" story. Let me know if I should continue.
1. Chapter 1

_So, I always thought this episode was brilliant, but I wish they had stretched it out a bit. Martin was such a promising character, like a Lightmann's nemesis. This is just the beginning of an idea, so bare with me._

_I don't own Lie to Me or any of it's characters. If I did, Loker and Torres would have been, well, you know... more._

* * *

Ria slid the money over the counter, her phone pressed to her ear. The barista smiled and handed her the coffee. She tried to smile back, but was preoccupied by Loker ranting in her ear about aliens and government conspiracy.  
"What exactly is happening?" She asked, trying to balance her coffee and purse. "No, Loker, I don't wanna be on camera. What are you-"  
Her argument with Loker was promptly cut off by the tall figure she'd just walked into and the hot coffee, now spilt all over her hand.  
"Damn it! Ugh, gotta go." She growled, hanging up. Dropping her bag back on the counter she tried to shake to hot liquid off. The figure, a young man, was immediately apologetic.  
"Aww man, I am such a cluts. I – ugh Jesus- I left my opposable thumbs home. Here let me buy you another one." He said, reaching for some paper napkins.  
"No, it's ok." Ria sighed. She had already decided that today wasn't her day. With Loker on another crusade against the government and Lightmann and Foster out all day, she knew from the second she stepped outside her door that she'd be on the back foot all day.  
"No, really, it's not." The man insisted, turning back to the barista. "Here, another one of what I just spilled and a, uh, raspberry tart. You ok with raspberry?" he asked, with a small smile.  
Ria paused for a moment. Maybe her day wasn't going to be so bad after all. Smiling back, she answered;  
"Yeah sure."

* * *

Ria sipped her new coffee as Martin walked with her through the parking lot. She was trying to explain her job to him. He seemed to think it was a lot more interesting than it really was.  
"A lot of action huh?"  
"Nah, usually just dull stuff. Little old ladies smuggling perfume, you know?"  
He grinned, glancing at her.  
"Well maybe dull is good. Whatever you're doing now seems to be stressing you out."  
Just like with the raspberry tart, he'd hit the nail on the head.  
"Yeah, it's ironic. Uh, I'm usually the one to read people but you're right. I am stressed." She admitted as they reached his van.  
"Well, you need to relax." He said, tossing his bag into the back. "You know, I'm going to a concert tonight. Mostly Vivaldi. You wanna come?"  
Ria grinned and ducked her head, pretending to hesitate. She already knew her answer. Martin was cute, charming and could apparently hold his own against her lie detector profession.  
He smiled that quirky half smile of his and dipped his head bashfully.  
"It doesn't have to be like a date or anything you know. You could meet me there."  
He was too sweet to mess with, so instead of dragging it out she smiled at him. Then, shaking herself out of her thoughts, she nodded.  
"No. Yeah, yeah I'd really like to go. Let me give you my number."  
She balanced her coffee and purse on to roof of the car next to them and pulled out a pen. Scribbling her number on one of the napkins he had given her she looked back up at him.  
He grinned openly at her and shut his van door.  
"Great. So I'll text you later. Concert starts at 8, at The Fillmore."  
"Yeah, I know the place. So I'll see you tonight."  
"Can't wait." he chuckled, climbing into his van. He waved once more before driving off.  
Ria smiled and walked on to her own car.


	2. Chapter 2

_So there's been a serious delay in all my stories, and all I can say is sorry. Exams left me feeling particularly uninspired. Here's part 2._

_I don't own Lie To Me._

* * *

By the end of the day Ria was ready to strangle Loker. Usually their competitive bickering was fun and harmless. It was usually just part of their dynamic. Today however, he had been so smug about the whole "government conspiracy" thing that she was seriously considering putting his head through a wall.

Fortunately for Eli Loker, a pleasant distraction had quite possibly saved his life. A text, from Martin, had arrived, just as Torres was reaching for Eli's throat.

_Hey, it's Martin. I just realised you don't have my number. Well, now you do :) Just text me where to pick you up and I'll be there. _

He must have forgotten that she was going to meet him at the concert. She was running late anyway because of Loker, so she texted him the Lightman office address and went to change in the bathroom.

* * *

"Oh my goodness, Ria you look _gorgeous_!" Heidi gushed as Torres emerged from the bathroom. She smiled self-consciously and smoothed down her deep red dress.

"Are you sure it's not too much? I mean, it's only a first date. In fact, I don't even know if it is a date!"

"Well, where is he taking you?"

"A Vivaldi concert, at the Fillmore."

"Wow, he's really pulling out all the stops."

Ria blushed and fidgeted with her dress again. Whilst Heidi may not have been a Lightman protégé, she had picked up a few tricks over the years and she could see Ria bouncing between excitement and nervousness.

"Look, Torres, you look fantastic. But, if you're still worried that you're overdressed for a first date, just remember that he's taking you to the Fillmore. That's a classy place, and you're perfectly dressed for _that_."

"Thanks Heidi. I'm just gonna go leave my clothes in my office. He should be here any second though, so just buzz him in if he comes."

"No prob- oh, hi Eli. What can I do for you?"

Ria whirled on the spot to see Loker leaning against the wall. At a glance he seemed perfectly at ease, but his shoulders were tensed and his jaw clenched periodically.

"Big date?" he asked bitterly, eyeing the slinky strapless number she was wearing. Loker had never hidden his attraction towards her, but recently his attitude towards her dating life had shifted from playful ribbing to genuine resentment.

Unfortunately for Eli Loker, Ria had reached her tolerance limit a long time ago and was in no mood to coddle his fragile ego.

"Yeah, big date." She replied glibly, brushing past him.

* * *

When she returned for her office Martin had already arrived. He was wearing a black sports jacket and slacks, and looked _gorgeous_. Eli was still standing next to Heidi's desk, and the receptionist was eyeing the two men nervously. Her relief as she spotted Torres was palpable, and caught the attention of Martin, who turned and smiled widely at her appearance.

"Wow, you look... um... well, wow." He rubbed the back of his head bashfully and shot her another crooked smile, which she returned.

The moment was interrupted by Loker clearing his throat loudly. Ria scowled at him. He almost looked hurt in the neon light but, as always, whatever he was really feeling was quickly masked by a snarky grin, and without another word he turned back around the corner and disappeared into his office, leaving Ria and Martin alone with Heidi, who was pretending to type away diligently at the computer.

"Sorry about Loker. He can be a bit eccentric." Ria shrugged, trying to fill the awkward silence Loker had left in his wake.

"Not at all." Martin grinned, totally at ease, "It's nice being able to put a name to the glare."

This time Ria laughed openly.

"Will we go?"

* * *

The concert was good, or at least, the parts she had been listening to were. She and Martin had spent the most part of the evening laughing and talking. Their conversation had at some point turned into a guessing game where Martin would try to read the people around them with her acting as judge. It had started out fairly tamely, but by the time they had left the concert hall his theories had spiralled into blatant nonsense.

"That lady there has a fetish for dried fruit, and is fantasizing about her stash of caramelized banana slices in her purse!"

Ria almost spat her drink all over him as she tried to contain her laughter.

"Oh my God, no! Where are you getting this from?"

She could feel him shaking with laughter as well as he helped her into her coat.

"I will have you know that I am a deeply insightful person!" he replied archly, casually sweeping her hair out of the way.

"I find that hard to believe." She teased, swinging her arms gently as they strolled down the softly lit street.

"Hey, I resent that!" he exclaimed in mock indignation. "If I wasn't so insightful, then how could I tell that the conductor is a cross dresser off stage?"

"Ha! You're crazy!"

"And you're incredible."

And with that statement she stopped. They stood facing each other, poised on the edge of the dim lamplight, eyes shining in the dark. It seemed like a scene from a Nicholas Sparks movie; both of them waiting for the other to make a move.

Eventually, Martin did. He softly brushed a wayward strand of hair from her eyes and murmured in that low throaty voice of his.

"I mean it. You're the most fascinating woman I've ever met."

Chuckling self-consciously, Ria broke eye-contact and leaned back against his truck behind her.

"Now you're just using lines, aren't you?" she half-joked.

"No, I mean it! You have an amazing gift, and I envy you."

"Liar!" she laughed.

"You should know. You _are_ the expert." He quipped playfully.

"Actually, I'm just a novice really. Lightman's the real expert." She hedged automatically. She glanced down at the sidewalk, feeling like a self-conscious teenager.

There was a long pause before Martin spoke again, and what he said was the last thing she expected to hear.

"Speaking of Lightman, did I mention I know your boss?"

"What?"

Martin was suddenly very close, but the warm, charismatic grin was gone. In its place was a calculating look. His mouth was still quirked in that crooked half-smile of his, only now his eyes were cast in shadow. The cold metal of the van pressed firmly against her back as she automatically stepped back.

"See, he thinks I'm some kind of psycho killer. That I get women alone, attack them." He took a step closer, his grey eyes boring into hers. Ria was suddenly very aware of how isolated they were.

"What do you want?". Another step.

"To make a point." The street was empty, and now he was looking at her like a piece of meat.

"And what point would that be?" she asked nervously, trying to edge herself out of the corner she'd backed into.

"That if Lightman was right about me you'd be dead." He murmured, blocking her path with a quick movement.

"So Lightman's wrong?" she whispered breathlessly, never taking her eyes off him as he loomed over her.

He chuckled softly. She jumped.

"No. Actually, he hit the nail on the head. Bad luck for you, huh?"

"Why?" she gasped.

"Oh, come on Ria, you're a smart woman. You know why." He had something in his hand. She shrank away from him as he reached toward her. She couldn't see what it was... He was blocking the light... What did he have..? It was too dark to see...

"I had a lovely evening Ria."

A flash... Pain... Black...


End file.
